Upper buffer for vestibule-cars



P. KASS.

UPPER BUFFER FOR VESVTIBULE CARS.

APPLICATION FILED )ULY 27,1921.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921..

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE.

PETER KASS, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THERE TO EDWARD IBRIT'TAIN ANI) ONE-THIRD TO JULIUS J. ACKER, BOTH OF CHTCAG, TLLINOIS. i

UPPER BUFFER FOR VEST'IBULE-CARS.

Application filed July 27',

To all whom #may concern:

Be it known that l, PETER Kass, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook. and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Upper Buffers for Vestibule- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vestibule construction for railway cars but more particu* larly to buffers for the same and has for its primary object to provide a simple, compact and durable spring support for the upper portion of the vestibule face plate.

Further objects are to provide a simple form of adjustment for the parts, to facilitate the attachment of the bellows and prevent subsequent injury thereto, to procure greater freedom of action, to provide a construction which is not affected by accumulations of dust and cinders, to eliminate the necessity for the cutting of holes through the ends of the car which permit dirt, moisture and snow to enter the car vestibule in addition to weakening the vestibule structure, to facilitate repair and inspection, to prevent rattling of the parts, to permit vertical as well as horizontal relative movement of the cars, and in genera-l to provide a new and improved buffer.

The many other objects and advantages of the invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a selected embodiment thereof, in which Figure 1 is a Vlan view of a portion of a car end equipped) with my improved buifer construction.

Fig. 2 is a partial end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of one of the buffer springs and its support, and

- Fig. 4 is a detail view.

Referring to the drawing. the usual face plate 10 is connected along its top and sides with the end frame 11 of the car vestibule by an extensible hood or bellows 12 of the usual heavy fabric. This hood is yieldingly held in its extended position byV upper and lower buffers but the present invention `relates solely to an improved form of upper buffer.

The bufer comprises a plate 14 secured on the inner face of the plate 10 above the top 'Specication of Letters latent.

Patented Nov. sa, 1921.

1921. Serial No. 487,825.

15 of the hood 12 and connected by a pair of yielding members 16 with the end frame 11 of the car. As these members 16 are substantially identical in form, only one will be described in detail as this description will apply equally to the other.

The member 16 consists of a rigid link 17 having its outer end pivotally connected at 18 to lugs 19 on the plate 14 and its inner end similarly connected at 2O to the inner end of a spring-pressed rod or plunger 2l slidably and revolubly mounted in a bracket 22 secured upon the outer face of the frame 1l. This bracket comprises an elongated plate having oppositely disposed end iianges 23 yand 24 provided with perfcrations in a-Xial'alinement to receive and form a support for the plunger 21. A sleeve 25 is preferably formed on or attached to the outer face of the liange 23 to provide a substantial bearing for this plunger.

The plunger 21 is preferably cylindrical and consists of a main portion 26 and a reduced outer portion 27. A flattened head 28 is formed on the inner end of the lunger and the link 17 is pivotally connecte to this head.v A shoulder 29 is formed at the junction of the portions 26' and 27 of the plunger and a washer 30 lits on the reduced portion of the plungerand abuts this shoulder. A coil spring 3l envelope Vthe reduced portion of the plunger and acts between the inner face of the washer 30 `and the opposing face of the flange 24 to yieldingly maintain rretain thisv nut on the plunger. As the spring 31 becomes weakened by long use, the spring pressure may be increased by placing one er more washers 33 upon the plunger,

Vas indicated in Fig. 3. -Any suitable form of `housing ,may be provided to inclose the ,sprlng 31, as will be readily evident. The

bracket 22 may be extended to form a guide or support 22 for the head 28, although this is unnecessary when a plunger of adequate dimensions is used, -Y d i 'l' 'blocked in this lposition attached.

bracket and the face The rigid link 17 is preferably 'formed in Y two parts connected by a turnbuckle'l 35 to permit adjustment of the length of the link, though a single piece rod or barniay be used, as will be readily appreciated. The

fully extended position ot the buiifer is shown in solid lines in Fig. l of the drawing and the extreme contracted position is indi cated in dot, though it would very rarely occur that the butler would be compressed to this extent.

It is particularly advantageous vthat the inner ends of the buer be connected tothe end plate of the car as thisplate is generally made of heavy steel and providesja firm Vbase for the bracket. lln orderl to, permit Such e Connection.; it is necessari that the buer construction,V be very compact andv I have found my buffer of material assistance wheninstalling a hood on a ca r.V The inner end of the hood is usually fastened to l VVthe end ot ther car rst and it4 is then eX- tremelydifcult, on account oi thestiness of the fabric, to stretch the hood suliiciently s .to bring` the outer end Vintothe proper position for attachment to lthe lace plate and to maintain it inthis position until such attachment is completed l draw the face plate toward theend of the car sufficiently Vto make the connection easy by engaging the outer ends of the plungers 2l and pulling them outwardly. The plungers may be until the hoodis My Vbutler 'is entirely outside theA hood and isspace'd above the same suliiciently so thatthefhood cannot be damaged' ,byY the movement of the butter. ln modern cars the end frames are practically flat. so that. the brackets may be attached directly `upon these frames in the manner described but when the buffer is to be installed on cars having a rounded' end, filler blocks 88. of proper form may be interposed between the plate, as indicated in Fig. Il of the drawing. l

The rod or'plunger 2l is preferably round so that itV may rotate Ain thefbracket and thus permit relative vertical as well ashorizontal movement', of the cars. The Vspring 3l ispreterably. constantly under slight ten! Vsion whichprevents rattling ol the parts.

This tension may be .adjustedin theV man- 5 ner described.V 'llie position of the butter "said above the hood and wholly outside the vestibule greatly facilitates inspection and repair. v -V I am aware that many changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts and lreserve the right to make all such as fairly tall within the scope of the following claims.

l claim as my invention: Y

1". Vln a railway cai', the combination vwith a car frame, a diaphragm face plate movable toward Vand from said trame, and a hood connecting said plate and said frame, of a buffer. between said trarne and said plate aboveV said hood comprising a bracket moullltefl 011 vfarol v,trame a Sprm'e .Controlled @larger Slide-ble 'in 'Said biaclretfaiid alink connecting' said plunger andsaid Jface plate and movable in. a substantially horizontal Plame- 2 'le a railway @an the combinati@ with a ear frame, aV Vdiaphragmy lace-V plate movable. toward androrn said trame, and a flexible hood connecting said plate and said trame7 of abutler between said frame.

and said plate movable in a path wholly without said hood, said butter comprising a bracket mounted on said `trame, a spring controlled plunger slidable Vinsaid bracket,

'anila link @,Qiinetne Said plunger with Said, plate.: e l Y ,351.11 a railway Car', the YCiiiiibnatiQ11. with a frame member, Ya. plate melilber. movable toward and from 'said -trame member, and a yhood connectingV said members, or'k abulfer y Vbetween Said; members above said hood compri'sing a bracket mounted on one oli Vsaid members, a spring-.pressed plunger slidablc substantially horizontally 'in said bracket,

and a link connecting oneend of said pluny ger withthe. other of said membersiand adapted to be moved in substantially a horizontal plane by the relative movement Vof said members.

ll. In a railway car, the combinationwith a car frame, a diaphragm Vfaceplate movable toward and from said frame, andan extensible bood interposed' between Said' trame and said plate, or a butler between said plate and said frame comprisingha bracket on said v frame, a spring-pressed rod slidablymounted in said bracket, a .link-connectingone lend of said rod with said Jface plate. l.

5. ln a railway car, the combination with a car frame, a diaphragm face plate movable u y toward andl from said frame, and a hood connecting said frame and said plate, of a butler lbet-weenfsaid frame and said plate comprising a bracket mounted on saidI trame,

a vspring-pressedy plunger slidable'` said A bracket, means for adjusting the spring pressure on said plunger, and a link connecting plunger with said plate.

a ear frame, la diaphragm tace platemovable 1,30

n a railway canetl e combination with.

toward and from said frame, and a hood connecting said frame and said plate, of a buffer between said frame and said plate comprising a bracket on said frame, a spring-pressed plunger slidably and revolubly mounted in oppositely disposed bearings in said bracket, and a link connecting said plunger with said plate.

7. In a railway car, the combination with a car frame, a diaphragm face plate movable toward and from said frame, and a hood connecting said frame and said plate, of a buffer between said frame and said plate comprising a spring-pressed plunger slidably mounted on said frame, a link connecting the end of said plunger with said plate, and means for adjusting the length of said link.

8. In a railway car, the combination with a car frame, a diaphragm face plate movable toward and from said frame7 and a hood connecting said frame and said plate, of a buffer between said frame and said plate comprising a bracket provided with a pair of bearings in axial alinement, a springpressed plunger slidable and revoluble in said bearings, means for adjusting the pressure of the spring on said plunger, a link connecting one end of said plunger with said plate, and means for adjusting the length of said link.

PETER KASS. 

